The Senate President Bukola Saraki appointed Senator Suleiman Nazif (APC-Bauchi) as acting chairman of the INEC committee.
He replaces Senator Ali Ndume who was suspended for supposedly promoting false allegations against the senate president and Senator Dino Melaye without due diligence.
“In the absence of the chairman, Sen. Ali Ndume, Sen. Nazif will head the committee and the report should be brought back to the Senate in two weeks,” Saraki said.
Meanwhile, the senate has now decided to screen 3 non-career ambassador nominees earlier rejected. 82-year-old Justice Sylvanus Nsofor from Imo was initially rejected because of his age but the presidency insisted on his nomination by sending his name to the senate a second time.
Other affected nominees are Joseph Iji, Ondo and Yusuf Hinna, Gombe. The senate committee on foreign affairs will screen the nominees and report to the plenary within 2 weeks.